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New Hampshire Joins Data Protection Trend, Passes Comprehensive Data Protection Law
  1. Services

Cannabis

Benesch’s nationally recognized Cannabis Industry Group provides a comprehensive range of legal services to clients navigating this dynamic and ever-changing area of the law. Our team boasts a deep understanding of the legal and business complexities that encompass all facets of operation within the cannabis and hemp industries.

Our attorneys and professionals incorporate broad-based experience across various practices areas, including corporate law, intellectual property, securities, labor and employment, environmental law, litigation, real estate, transportation and logistics, information technology, construction and government relations. We are well-versed in the state regulatory frameworks governing these sectors, enabling us to effectively guide our clients through the unique challenges and opportunities presented by this industry.

Our Cannabis practice is recognized by Chambers® and The Legal 500, and our lawyers have received numerous state and national accolades.

Services include:

  • Preparing and processing cannabis applications with state and municipal regulatory agencies and boards
  • Drafting and negotiating mergers, acquisitions, asset sales and other corporate transactions
  • Legal support for cannabis businesses raising capital and entering into investment transactions
  • Strategic counseling for entities operating in the cannabis industry
  • Counseling for entities expanding current cannabis operations into other jurisdictions
  • Guidance relating to the production and national trade of hemp, including cannabidiol (CBD) and psychoactive cannabinoids
  • Intellectual property protection and monetization strategies, including state and federal trademark applications, brand licensing, white label arrangements and technology licensing
  • Government relations, including providing regulatory compliance support and advocacy before legislative and regulatory bodies
  • Advertising and marketing compliance
  • Litigation, including business disputes and employee suits
  • Drafting and negotiating contractual agreements, including third party vendors, supply agreements, and terms and conditions
  • Drafting and negotiating lease, purchase and other real estate documents related to cannabis
  • Counseling for employers regarding employment policies and procedures related to employee cannabis use
  • Counseling for health care providers in developing, implementing and monitoring policies for patient/resident use of medical marijuana in the healthcare settings, including inpatient settings
  • Investigations related to drug diversion, including medical marijuana in healthcare settings
  • Court and administrative litigation arising out of licensing decisions of state cannabis licensing agencies
  • Post-licensure guidance and strategy for market entrance

Benesch has the following practice areas that are routinely supportive of our cannabis industry clients:

Mergers & Acquisitions

Benesch’s M&A and corporate finance attorneys consistently support our cannabis industry clients with acquiring, selling and financing assets and properties. A central focus of our M&A practice revolves around representing private equity firms. Our work with these sophisticated clients and their portfolio companies ensures our team remains well-versed in legal matters, market standards and best practices that drive merger and acquisition activities within this fast-paced and evolving segment of the capital markets.

Intellectual Property

Benesch provides a full spectrum of intellectual property services to its cannabis clients. Recognizing the industry’s lag in intellectual property protection, we ensure clients prioritize protecting and monetizing their intellectual assets by devising tailored strategies for their portfolios and acquisitions. Our services include drafting patent and trademark applications, securing copyrights related to cannabis, and supporting clients in licensing brand and technology, as well as business ventures specific to intellectual property, ensuring flexibility for future decisions. Leveraging our extensive experience, we adapt proven techniques and strategies from established industries for effective implementation within the cannabis sector.

Transportation & Logistics

Benesch increasingly counsels clients in the cannabis industry on regulatory and contractual matters relating to their transportation and logistics activities. Our attorneys have significant experience in transportation and logistics management across regional, national and global scales. Seven of Benesch’s Transportation & Logistics Practice Group’s attorneys have held management and legal positions at various transportation firms, which gives us valuable industry perspectives and a practical, deep and broad knowledge of the regulatory and legal regime. We regularly assist clients in drafting, negotiating and revising various transportation contracts, including shipper, carrier and broker contracts, warehouseman contracts, cross-docking arrangements, customs brokerage contracts, regional and local last mile and related services agreements. The group is also well-experienced at preparing and negotiating warehouse operating and pick-and-pack agreements for major distribution center activities.

Real Estate

Benesch’s nationally recognized Real Estate Practice Group serves clients nationwide, including those in the life sciences, pharmaceuticals and cannabis industries, with leases for production, testing, manufacturing, cultivation, distribution and retail facilities. We guide clients through the complexities of land use and zoning, joint ventures, private placements, public offerings, ground lease financing, mortgage loans, mezzanine debt and securitized assets. Additionally, our Construction practice excels in assisting clients with architect and contractor negotiations, contracts and disputes.

Labor, Employment and Benefits

Our Labor & Employment Practice Group complements our M&A and Cannabis practices by providing due diligence, drafting employment and restrictive covenant agreements, and addressing other matters. The group also advises employers on current best practices and strategies for common workplace issues, including wage and hour compliance, immigration, internal investigations, individual and group discharges, employment policies, handbooks, training and releases.

Tax

Benesch’s Tax Practice Group offers a solutions-oriented approach to tax planning across various transactions, including corporate, partnership, mergers and acquisitions, sales, reorganizations, bankruptcy, real estate and venture capital transactions. Our team is also proficient in structuring and planning under Code Section 280E.

Consumer Products

Cannabis is a consumer product with a unique regulatory framework. However, understanding cannabis requires looking beyond its immediate context. Leveraging our rich breadth and depth of knowledge in consumer product law, we approach cannabis not only from a regulatory standpoint, but also draw from decades of experience in well-established industries. This gives us a competitive advantage that we extend to our clients. Benesch advises cannabis clients across a range of consumer product matters, including TCPA actions, drafting and negotiating supply agreements and terms and conditions, product labeling, recall issues and policies, data privacy and security, product design and marketing, diversion, and regulatory compliance.

Litigation

Benesch boasts a robust national Litigation practice. Our litigation attorneys engage daily in a wide variety of business disputes. Our litigators actively pursue cost-effective solutions through courtroom litigation and dispute resolution, serving a diverse clientele that includes multinational corporations, publicly held companies, private enterprises, profit and non-profit boards, municipalities, government entities, lenders, insurers and individuals. In the field of cannabis law, our litigation team has extensive experience in administrative appeals, dispute resolution, contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, TCPA actions, and challenges related to cannabis licenses.

Experience

  • Represented a Midwest regional vertically integrated cannabis operator in its issuance of subordinated notes.
  • Conducted trade secret audit and worked with private equity firm on identifying potential trade secrets of cannabis grower in order to assess investment valuation and opportunity.
  • Assisted national cannabis-focused corporation in navigating 10-K annual report filings.
  • Represented a cannabis software company in vendor dispute arbitration.
  • Advised cannabis company on state and county specific regulations concerning dispensary applications and licenses.
  • Represented springbig, the largest loyalty and marketing automation platform to serve the cannabis Industry, in entering into a definitive agreement for a $500 million de-SPAC transaction resulting in springbig being listed on Nasdaq through a merger with Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corporation. The merger accelerated springbig’s visions to serve cannabis brands by consolidating a highly fragmented cannabis technology ecosystem across loyalty, data analytics, advertising, and other areas influencing consumer experience and marketing effectiveness.

  • Represented California cannabis company The Parent Co. its acquisition of dispensary and delivery company Coastal Holding Company for stock consideration. 

  • Represented multi-state cannabis operators on equity and debt structures.
  • Represented cannabis applicants in various states in connection with their formation, management, equity and debt structures.
  • Represented private investment fund that focuses on investing in BIPOC owned cannabis businesses.
  • Represented a Missouri and California cannabis operator in a $25 million equity private placement.
  • Represented a Midwest regional vertically integrated cannabis operator in numerous acquisitions and joint ventures.
  • Represented Caliva, a leading California vertically integrated cannabis company, it its combination with Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp. (NEO:Gram.U), the largest cannabis SPAC and largest Canadian SPAC to date.
  • Represented PharmaCann, one of the country’s largest vertically integrated cannabis companies, as lead counsel on a $25 million senior secured convertible loan facility secured by Illinois medical and adult use dispensary assets.
  • Represented Caliva, a direct-to-consumer cannabis brand, as real estate counsel in its acquisition of multiple licensed cannabis operations and several newly awarded dispensary licenses, all in California.

  • Represented Caliva as lead counsel on a joint venture involving cultivation licenses and newly awarded dispensary and deliver license in Los Angeles with a social equity applicant partner. Additionally, represented Caliva with regard to numerous real estate lease transactions.
  • Representing Red Arrow Farm, a Michigan-based cultivation and processing facility that has increasing market share in the still-developing adult-use market in the state, as outside general counsel in matters including regulatory and corporate counsel on an ongoing basis. Red Arrow are pioneers in a brand new industry in Michigan and face myriad legal challenges at a state and local level along the way.
  • Represented GTI, a leading national cannabis company and owner of Rise™ and Essence retail stores, in matters including a cultivation license from the Ohio Department of Commerce, following an appeal. The cultivation operation will be located in Toledo as part of a processing and manufacturing facility that will also produce GTI’s branded product portfolio.

  • Represented a large, family office which made very substantial investments in the cannabis business, including corporate structure for the entity into which the family office made its original investments and eventually raised additional equity which allowed the original investor to receive a return of a portion of its original investment.
Key Contacts
  • Bryna Dahlin
    Chair, Cannabis Industry Group
    Chicago
  • William E. Doran
    Corporate & Securities
    Chicago
  • Alissa “Ali” Jubelirer
    Cannabis
    Chicago
  • Bob Morgan
    Benesch Healthcare+
    Chicago
  • Thomas B. Kern
    Intellectual Property
    Columbus
  • Ryan D. Moore
    Corporate & Securities
    Chicago

View full team

  • Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures
  • Intellectual Property
  • Real Estate
  • Labor & Employment
  • Contract, Business, Commercial & Consumer Disputes
  • Litigation
  • Transportation & Logistics
Articles and Presentations
April 1, 2025
No Tax on Tips! What President Trump’s Promise May Mean for Your Business
March 27, 2025
Benesch's Cannabis Industry Quarterly Update: Q1 2025
March 17, 2025
Illinois Cannabis Outlook 2025: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

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News
November 13, 2024
Alissa Jubelirer and Denis Yavorskiy Featured in Chicago Sun-Times | "Illinois' cannabis transport license process discriminates against minority-owned businesses, lawsuit says"
September 4, 2024
Bryna Dahlin, Mark Silberman, Ryan Levitt, and Meghan Golden Publish Article on DOJ Scrutiny of Cannabis Industry PPP Loans in Cannabis Business Executive
June 12, 2024
Benesch’s Cannabis Industry Team Ranks in 2024 Edition of The Legal 500

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